Chicago Trip
by Christine8806
Summary: Lisa visits her sister in Chicago, and I probably don't have to tell you who shows up. My first Red Eye fic...please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The phone rang at five in the morning and Sam Reisert groaned, pulling a pillow over her head. Who in their right mind would be up this early? And why were they calling her?

The answering machine picked up and she heard her recorded voice "This is Sam, I'm either not here or I'm screening my calls, leave a message and maybe I'll get back to you."

"Sam, it's Lisa. Get out of bed and pick up the phone."

Sam managed to roll over and grab the cordless beside her bed.

"Lisa? What's going on?"

"I'm in Chicago on hotel business, and I thought we could meet for breakfast."

"You woke me up at this ungodly hour for this? Jeez Leese, I'm glad to hear you're in town, but couldn't we do lunch instead?"

"My day is booked from eight o'clock to midnight, so no. Is the coffee shop next door to your apartment building still there?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, well get dressed and I'll meet you there in an hour." Lisa hung up and Sam sat for a few more seconds with the phone still to her ear, letting her brain catch up on what had happened. She was really not a morning person.

A long, hot shower managed to wake her up enough to get downstairs, and by the time Lisa arrived, the caffeine from her Grande Mocha was beginning to kick in.

Sam got up to hug her sister, noting that she looked much happier than the last time they had seen one another a few months back.

_Maybe she's finally managed to put everything behind her._ Sam thought hopefully.

"So, how is the hotel business?" She asked as they settled down with their coffee and muffins.

"Great, actually. Things are running smoothly for once." Lisa knocked on the table, a superstition both of the girls had picked up from their mother. "How's college?"

"Don't get me started." Sam sighed. "I don't know why all the professors feel the need to double our workload right before spring break, but my sanity is beginning to go."

Lisa chuckled, drawing a glare from her younger sister.

"So, are you only in town for a day, or will you be here tomorrow?"

"The meetings are today only, but I have the next few days off, so I'll probably stick around. You didn't think I'd miss my baby sister's 21st birthday, did you?"

"Please tell me Dad didn't ask you to baby-sit me."

"He didn't, and I won't. I figured we could go out together and have a little fun."

"Fun? I didn't think you had that word in your vocabulary, Leese." Sam teased. "You're usually all work and no play."

"Well, I think it's time for a change."

The next evening, Sam slipped into a dark pair of jeans and her favorite shimmery black tank top, then teased her short brown hair into a 'playfully messy' style. She was thrilled that her birthday had fallen on a Friday this year, and the Friday before spring break, which was even better. She wouldn't have to worry about being too worn out to focus on her schoolwork.

As she was finishing up her makeup, she heard a knock on the door.

"It's open, Leese!" She shouted.

A few seconds later she was finished, and she walked out into the living room, where she expected to find her sister waiting. No one was there.

"Lisa?" She poked her head into the kitchen, but it was empty as well. There was no one standing outside the door, either.

Sam wandered back into the living room, feeling a little creeped out. Then she heard a voice coming from her bedroom. She couldn't make out what they were saying. There was a heavy candlestick on the end table in the living room, so Sam picked it up, holding it as a weapon, and slowly turned the knob on her bedroom door.

"Hey Sam, I was just making a quick call." Lisa said when she saw the door begin to open. "What are you doing with that candlestick?"

"Nothing." Sam looked sheepish as she backed out of the room and returned her weapon to its place. _Paranoid much?_

The two sisters walked down the street to a nightclub that Sam had discovered a few months before. It was off the main strip, which meant it wasn't as crowded as most clubs. You could actually walk across the room without feeling as though you had been molested by a dozen strangers.

"Sam, I have to use the bathroom. I'll be right back." Lisa half-shouted to be heard over the music. Sam gave her a thumbs-up and settled down at the corner table they had found.

"Excuse me, Miss?" A waiter appeared next to her with a tray bearing two drinks. "These are for you and your friend."

"We haven't ordered yet, you must have had a mix up." Sam replied.

"No, they're from the gentleman over at the bar. A pair of Sea Breezes."

"Which gentleman, exactly?" Sam asked, curiously surveying the bar.

The waiter pointed, and then stopped, wrinkling his brow.

"I guess he moved. He was there a moment ago."

"Well, if you see him, thank him for us." Sam said. The waiter nodded and placed the drinks on the table.

_Well, I wonder who our secret admirer is?_ Sam thought as she sipped her Sea Breeze and continued to scan the crowd.

"I'm back." Lisa announced as she slid into her seat. "You ordered already?"

"No, these were ordered for us." Sam's smile disappeared when she saw Lisa's expression change. "Leese, what's wrong?"

"A Sea Breeze…" Lisa's mind was flashing back to memories she thought she had put behind her. "Sam, who sent these?"

"Don't know. He disappeared before the waiter could point him out. What's going on?"

"We have to go."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Red Eye or any of its characters, but Sam is mine.

Chapter 2

"Leese, can you please tell me what we're doing?" Sam was jogging to keep up with her sister, who was pushing past people on her way to the door.

They stepped out into the street and suddenly their path was blocked by a tall, slender man who smiled as his pale blue eyes locked on Lisa.

"Hi Leese, did you finish your drink already?" His voice was friendly, but there was an undertone of menace that Sam picked up on instantly. Whoever this guy was, he wasn't a friend.

"What are you doing here?" Lisa's voice was shaky, a far cry from the confident sister Sam had been so happy to have back.

"I heard you were in town and thought we could do some catching up. It's been, what, six months?" He placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head so that she was looking him in the eyes. "I'd been planning on a reunion, and then you just fell into my lap."

"Listen, pal, I don't know who the hell you are," Sam stepped foreword, unwilling to be an observer any longer. "But you can take your hand off my sister and back off."

"Well, well. What have we here?" Those pale eyes were now focused on her, and Sam suddenly felt naked, like he could see right through her. "This must be little sis. She has some spunk. Have you told her about me, Leese?"

"Jackson." Lisa was pulling herself together. "Leave her out of this. Better yet, leave altogether."

"Jackson…" Sam's eyes widened in realization as she recalled the tale Lisa had related to her of that flight home from Texas. "_Rippner_? Oh shit."

Jackson's reply was cut off by the ring of a cell phone. He frowned and pulled out the phone, flipping it open to check the display.

"Unfortunately I have some business that needs to be taken care of, so I'll catch up with you ladies soon." With that he disappeared into the stream of pedestrians, leaving the two women temporarily speechless.

"Lisa?" Sam put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Are you okay? We need to go to the police."

"Right." Lisa took a deep breath and tried to slow her pounding heart. "Where is the nearest station? They will be more likely to do something about this if we go in person."

Sam tried to remember if she had seen a police station anywhere nearby, she had never paid much attention to such things. Her mind wasn't focusing easily; she kept remembering those eyes…now she understood what Lisa had tried to tell her months ago when she spoke of that flight.

The ring of Sam's cell phone caused both of them to jump.

"Hello?"

"Hi Samantha," Even though she had almost expected it, hearing his voice sent a chill down her spine. "Do you mind putting your sister on?"

"Actually, I do mind. What do you want?"

"I'm just making sure she isn't going to try something stupid like going to the police. After all, she wouldn't want to put an innocent girl in danger, would she?"

"What are you talking about, Rippner?"

"Your roommate, Amy. I have a guy watching your apartment. You go to the cops, or tell _anyone_ about this, and she dies."

Sam's breath caught in her throat, and before she could form a reply, Jackson ended the call. Tears welled in her blue-green eyes, but she blinked them back. Turning back to her sister, she saw that Lisa was pale.

"What did he want?"

"He said if we went to the police, one of his guys would kill Amy." Sam was surprised at how calm her own voice sounded. "He could be bluffing."

"No." Lisa's voice was far away. "He doesn't lie."

"So what do we do?"

"I want you out of here, Sam," Lisa looked her sister in the eye. "You can go to mom's house for break; I'll pay for the ticket."

"No way, Leese. I'm not leaving you to deal with this freak by yourself." Sam shook her head emphatically. "He's done enough to you. If anyone should get out of here, you should. If you leave now, while he's occupied with something, you can get away."

"But he'll only find me again."

"Maybe not." Sam was almost pleading.

"It's his job, Sammy, and he's good at it."

"Well, I'm not leaving." Sam's look dared Lisa to challenge her, but apparently her mind was occupied with other things. Taking this as permission to stay, Sam began to think out loud.

"We know he's watching my apartment, and probably your hotel room too, since he knew you were here." The logical part of Sam's brain was taking over, as it often did when she was facing a crisis. "What if we didn't go back to them? Chicago is a big city, we should be able to lose him…up until he threatens to kill Amy if we don't come back."

Sam flopped down on a bench and slouched foreword with her head in her hands. Lisa placed a hand on her back, a gesture that did more to assure her that she wasn't alone than it did comfort her sister. Sometimes she felt like the younger one, especially at times like this, when Sam always stayed so collected. Lisa could _act_ collected, but with Sam it was the real deal.

"I know it's not going to help much, Leese, but I'm going to call Amy, just to make sure she's okay." Sam said after they had been sitting in silence for some minutes. She pulled out her phone and hit the speed-dial number for her apartment.

"Hello?" Her roommate's perky voice never sounded so welcome. Sam let out a long sigh of relief before responding.

"Hey Aim, what's up?" She hoped her worried tone didn't carry over the phone.

"I'm heading out with Tommy; I'll probably end up staying over at his place tonight."

"Good." Sam hoped the girl wouldn't change her mind. "Just…don't go anywhere alone, okay?"

"You're one to talk, Samantha, since when do you worry about stuff like that?"

"It must be Lisa rubbing off on me." Sam forced a laugh. "I'll see you tomorrow. Tell Tommy I said hello."

She had no sooner shut the phone than it rang again. Prepared this time, she hit the talk button.

"What now?"

"Our little chat was cut short," the now-familiar voice was casual and friendly. "We should remedy that."

"You know, I'd love to, but unfortunately we've made other plans that we just can't cancel." Two could play his little game.

"That's funny Samantha, but I'm afraid I'll have to insist."

"So, what, we meet you for coffee or you kill my friend?" Part of Sam knew that she shouldn't be mocking this guy, but another part just didn't care. "That's a little extreme even for you, Jack."

A chill traveled down her spine when a strong hand gripped her shoulder and Jackson's voice, no longer diluted over the phone, whispered harshly in her ear.

"You don't want to play this game, Samantha, it only leads to pain. For you, and everyone you care about.

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A/N: First, let me say thanks to everyone who reviewed. You guys keep me motivated! If anyone has suggestions for me, I'd be happy to hear them. I have an idea for where I want this to go, but it's only an idea.

Now, the more reviews I get, the faster I'll get the next chapter up, so let me know what you think!

-C


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Red Eye or any of its characters. Sam is mine.

Chapter 3

Sam attempted to stand, but Jackson pushed down on her shoulder, keeping her on the bench. Lisa was looking around frantically, wishing that one of the people walking by would notice that something was wrong.

"They're not going to help you, Leese."

"What do you want, Jackson?" Lisa's voice was full of venom.

"I was thinking Mexican food. There's a great little restaurant just down the street."

"If you have something to say, just say it here. Enough of these games." Sam was really starting to get pissed off.

"No need to get upset, Samantha, I'm just trying to be pleasant." His grip on her shoulder tightened painfully. "That can change if you don't behave."

"Jackson…" Lisa's voice trailed off when he turned his gaze on her.

"What's wrong Leese? You don't want to talk to me?" Jackson pulled Sam to her feet and motioned down the street. "Let's go. We're going to have some food and a nice civilized conversation, just a few old friends catching up, got it?"

Lisa nodded mutely. Sam didn't respond, but was propelled forcibly foreword toward _La Oruga_, an authentic-looking restaurant. It was open late, catering to the night-club scene, and the three of them blended in perfectly. They were lucky enough to get a booth right away, near the back of the restaurant. Jackson motioned for Sam to get in on one side, and he sat beside her, blocking any attempts at escape. Lisa sat across from them.

"Now remember, we're just a few friends out for dinner." Jackson explained coolly. "Smile. Place your order. _Don't _attract attention."

"I know the drill." Sam noticed that Lisa seemed to be back in control, her tone irritated instead of frightened.

"I know you do, Leese. This is just for your sister's sake."

At that point, the waitress showed up and Jackson suddenly transformed into a charming, _normal _guy. He smiled and made a little joke before ordering nachos and a water. Lisa, unable to act quite as well, just said she'd have the same. Sam ordered a couple of chicken tacos and a Pepsi. After their drinks came, Sam spoke up.

"Now what?"

"So impatient, Samantha, you need to learn to relax a little." He leaned back, putting his arm over the back of the booth, brushing her shoulders. She fought to keep from flinching away from the contact. "Everything will be explained soon enough."

"Can I ask one question?"

"I believe you just did."

"Funny." Sam said sarcastically. Then, returning to a serious tone. "Is this a job, or just revenge?"

"Does it really matter, if the outcome is the same?"

"Cut the bullshit, Jackson." Both of them turned in surprise to look at Lisa. "What is this about?"

"I told you we'd talk again, Leese." Jackson's smile became mocking. "Don't you remember?"

"I remember shooting you, after stabbing a pen into your throat."

"But you still couldn't beat me." He shook his head.

"You're wrong." Sam cut in. "She _did_ beat you. You failed. You're plan was ruined, and you didn't even manage to kill her _or_ dad." She would have gone on, but Jackson turned his pale gaze on her and she got the impression that going farther would equate to suicide.

"I'm still here. The game isn't over yet."

The waitress returned with their food, oblivious to the building tension at the table. When she left, Sam shifted in her seat.

"I need to use the restroom."

"I doubt it." Jackson didn't budge.

"I'm serious. I just drank that huge glass of Pepsi, plus half of a Sea Breeze earlier, in case you forgot." She met his stare and didn't blink. "I need to go."

Jackson held her gaze for a few seconds longer, and then stood to let her out, taking her purse from her as she went past him. Sam reached the single-person bathroom, went in, and locked the door. Taking a deep breath, she surveyed her surroundings. The frosted window on the far wall caught her eye.

_I'm pretty sure I can fit through there, but then what? _She asked herself. _Tell someone? Call the cops? Whatever I do, I'd better do it fast._

Still not entirely sure what her plan was, Sam pushed the window open and looked out. It was about an eight foot drop to the alley behind the restaurant, not something to attempt in heels. Kicking off her shoes, she wiggled out feet-first and dropped, twisting one of her ankles on landing.

"Shit." She muttered, attempting to put weight on it as she straightened up. She glimpsed movement out of the corner of her eye right before being slammed into the brick wall of the alley, a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Not your most intelligent move, Samantha." Jackson's tone was no longer controlled and casual; each word was sharp with anger. "What was your plan, exactly? I'm really interested to know how you though you could save everyone."

She glared at him, unable to speak. Her head was throbbing from the impact with the wall. _At least it's taking my mind off my ankle_ she thought sardonically.

"Well, it looks like we're not going to be able to finish our meal. I guess I'll have to put my plan into action a little sooner than expected." Before Sam knew what was happening, Jackson slammed her into the wall a second time, knocking her unconscious.

He lifted her easily and began walking down the street. He earned a few curious glances, but otherwise most people ignored him. When someone did pay a bit too much attention, he gave them a knowing smile.

"Twenty-first birthday. I think she celebrated a bit too much." This seemed to satisfy them, and he reached his car without incident. After strapping Sam in, he pulled out his phone and dialed her cell number.

In the restaurant, Lisa jumped as the phone on the table rang.

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A/N: I'm so sorry I've taken so long to update this. College plus writer's block is not a good combination. I have winter break after this week though, so I'll try to make it up to you by getting several new chapters up.

As always, thank you so much to all my reviewers! Keep 'em coming!

-C


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Red Eye. Sam is mine, but Jackson seems to have borrowed her for a while.

Chapter 4

The phone rang several times before Lisa finally picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hi Leese. Enjoying dinner?" Jackson sounded cheerful. "I'm afraid Samantha and I had to leave early. You don't mind, do you?"

"What did you do to her?" Lisa was having trouble keeping her voice under control, and several people around her shot her dirty looks. "She isn't a part of this Jackson. It's about me, remember?"

"Think about it, Leese: if this _is_ all about revenge, wouldn't your sister be perfect in that respect? And if it isn't, then maybe she was my target all along, and you were just a bonus." Lisa heard a car engine starting in the background. "We're going away for a while. I'll be in touch."

"Jackson, wait!" But he had already disconnected. Lisa slumped back in the booth, fighting back tears. Once again, he had managed to make her feel helpless, unable to stop whatever plan he had. She thought she was beyond that, stronger than that, but apparently not.

"Sammy, please be okay."

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Sam couldn't remember why her head hurt so much. Had she drank too much? Hangovers usually didn't hurt this bad. She couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, just the thought of it made her wince. She reached for the glass of water on her nightstand before realizing that she wasn't in bed.

"Well, look who's awake." She knew that voice. That was…oh shit. Rippner. "I wasn't expecting you to be conscious for a while yet."

"I recover quickly." Sam couldn't manage to keep the pain out of her voice. "Where are we?"

"Nowhere important."

"Where's Lisa?" Sam suddenly opened her eyes and sat up straight, and regretted it instantly. She slumped foreword as a wave of pain and nausea overwhelmed her.

"You should be a bit more concerned for yourself at the moment." Jackson reached over and gently lifted her chin so she was looking him in the eye. "Your pupils aren't dilated, that's a good sign. Let me take a look at your head."

Slowly, Sam was coming to her senses. She realized they were in a car, in a parking garage. No one was around, and there was no sign of Lisa in the car. Jackson had pulled out a first-aid kit and was cleaning the gash on the back of her head with something that smelled like alcohol and _stung_.

"Ow!" She hadn't meant to react, but she couldn't help it.

"Come on, this can't be more painful than landing on your ankle earlier." His tone was light, almost joking, and Sam wasn't sure how to respond. "Speaking of which, how is that feeling?"

Sam tried to move her injured ankle and found that she could, though it throbbed a bit afterwards.

"It's not broken, maybe not even sprained."

"Good." Jackson sifted through the contents of the first-aid kit and came up with a couple of pills. "Take these."

"No thanks."

"That wasn't a request."

"I don't need drugs. I'm fine." She was lying, but she didn't want anything that might knock her out again. Jackson looked at her for several long moments before shrugging.

"Suit yourself."

Jackson's phone rang, and he stepped out of the car to take the call. Watching carefully to make sure his back was to her, Sam slipped off her seatbelt and looked around for a weapon. Nothing caught her eye.

Sighing, she reached for the door handle and pulled it as slowly and quietly as she could. Then, just as slowly, she began to open the door. Once it was open wide enough for her to fit through, she took a deep breath and slipped out. To her amazement, Jackson was still oblivious with his back to her. The elevator was only a few yards away, if she could get in there and get the door shut before he noticed…

Moving as quickly as she dared, and favoring her injured ankle, Sam backed toward the elevator. She almost jumped when her back touched the wall, but she stayed quiet and pressed the 'down' button. Almost instantly, the doors slid open with a _ping_.

"Shit." She whispered as she jumped into the open elevator and Jackson spun around. Frantically pushing the button to close the doors, she watched him stride purposefully toward her, his eyes deathly cold. "Shit shit shit."

He got his hand in the door before they shut, and Sam pressed herself against the back wall as he forced the doors open enough to let himself in. She realized that her eyes were squeezed shut and she forced herself to open them.

Jackson was standing perfectly still. The only sign that he was more than a statue was the slight rise and fall of his chest when he breathed. His gaze bored into her, keeping her pinned in place just as effectively as physical force.

"Say something!" She blurted, realizing belatedly that maybe she should have just kept her mouth shut. He took one step foreword, putting himself about an inch away from her.

"I'm disappointed, Samantha." He looked angry enough to kill someone, but his voice was as calm and level as always. "I thought you were smarter than this."

"Why can't you just go?" She half-asked half-pleaded. "Everyone can just go on with their life. What's wrong with that?"

"Sorry sweetheart," He brushed away a tear from her eyelashes and then traced his thumb down her cheek and gripped her chin between his thumb and finger. "It's not going to happen like that. I need you."

"Why?"

"I have a job. Help me pull it off, and you'll make up for the trouble your sister caused me."

"You'll leave her alone?"

"_If _you don't mess this up. You have to cooperate, do what I tell you, _without_ asking questions." He made sure she was looking him in the eye. "Can you do that?"

Sam nodded, holding his gaze, then found her voice.

"Sure."

"Peachy," Jackson released her chin and pressed the button for the ground floor. "Because we have a train to catch."

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A/N: I told you I wouldn't take so long this time! Thanks for all the great reviews, you guys keep me going! I'm on winter break, so I should be able to get the next couple of chapters up fairly quickly (but only if you review!)


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Red Eye or anything having to do with it. Sam and any other random characters are mine.

Chapter 5

"Where are we going?" Sam asked as they stepped out of the parking garage and began walking the few blocks to the Amtrak station. She was trying to distract herself from the pain in her head and ankle…she was _not_ about to ask for those painkillers.

"Seattle."

"Washington?" Jackson shot her a slightly irritated look and didn't answer. "Right. Stupid question."

Jackson's phone rang, and he looked at the readout but didn't answer. A few seconds later it rang again and he silenced it.

"Unwanted calls?" Sam tried to sound casual, but he remained silent. "It's Lisa, isn't it?"

Still no response, and she didn't want to push her luck. Who knew how long the semi-civility would last? They reached the station and Jackson motioned for her to sit while he went to the ticket window, leaving an unspoken warning should she try anything.

There weren't many empty seats, so she had to search a bit before finding two next to each other. She sat next to a guy who was about her age, maybe a year or two older, who was engrossed in the music blaring from his headphones. When he noticed her, he lowered the headphones and smiled.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Hi." She responded distractedly, not really looking at him.

"I'm John." He held out his hand and she shook it unconsciously.

"Sam."

"Where are you headed, Sam?"

Sam felt the unmistakable presence of Jackson beside her, and his hand settled on her shoulder.

"Hey Sammy, who is this?" He asked sweetly, his eyes conveying a warning that she was sure no one else would pick up on. She hesitated for a moment, and John stood, extending his hand to Jackson.

"Hi, I'm John, John Whitman." His smile faded a bit when Jackson didn't take his hand, but did not disappear altogether. "So…you two are together?"

"Jackson and I are associates." Sam spoke up, thinking fast. "On a business trip to Seattle."

"That's cool." John was grateful to be able to turn his attention back to Sam. "What kind of business, if I may ask?"

"As much as we'd love to stay and chat, our train is boarding." Jackson interrupted, taking Sam by the arm and leading her away to the boarding line before she or John had a chance to respond.

"You're hurting my arm." Sam informed him coolly, not speaking loud enough for anyone else to notice. Jackson didn't reply, but his grip loosened slightly. "I wasn't trying anything, you know. Not talking to him would have been more suspicious than what I said to him."

"So it was an accident that you let slip where we were going?" Jackson asked sarcastically. Before she could respond, they were at the front of the line and he flashed the tickets to the lady in charge, smiling at her as he led Sam toward their train.

"I told you I would cooperate, and I will." She looked him in the eye. "I'm doing this for Lisa, not for me, and sure as hell not for you, so you don't have to worry about me trying to sabotage whatever plan you have."

"I have a piece of advice for you, then:" His tone was patronizing. "Keep your mouth shut."

Sam was about to shoot back a biting remark, but then decided against it. If he wanted her to be quiet, she'd be quiet. She could be just as introverted and stubborn as he was. They climbed on board the train and were directed to one of the sleeper cars, where both settled in without a word.

The train pulled away and Sam watched the lights of the city disappear as they picked up speed. Her head and ankle were still throbbing, though less painfully now, and she found her eyelids drooping. The night was certainly taking its toll.

Jackson was talking on his cell again, but she was too zoned out to pay close attention. When the conversation was over, he stood.

"Hungry?" He asked, pulling her back to the present. She was, but her stubbornness won out and she stared at him silently. He shrugged and stepped out of their compartment, headed for the dining car.

Sam sighed and stared back out the window. She wasn't all that worried about herself; she knew Jackson needed her for this job, whatever it was. What really bothered her was that Lisa was probably worried sick, especially since Jackson wouldn't even answer the phone.

Suddenly an idea struck her and she got up, peeking out the door to make sure Jackson wasn't coming back yet, she headed off in the opposite direction he had gone. In the next car, she found a compartment with the lights on and knocked on the door. A middle-aged woman answered.

"Can I help you?"

"I hope so." Sam smiled sheepishly. "I forgot to charge my phone earlier today, and the batteries died before I got a chance to call my sister and tell her that I got on the train okay. I was wondering if you had a phone I could borrow, just for a second."

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Lisa had managed to pull herself together, and was now on her way to Sam's apartment building. She did not have a solid plan, but she needed a starting point and she knew she could count on Amy, Sam's roommate, to help in any way she could. When she reached the building, she pressed the button for Amy and Sam's room.

"Who is it?" Amy's chipper voice came over the speaker.

"Amy, it's Lisa Reisert. I really need to talk to you." The urgency in Lisa's voice must have been apparent because Amy buzzed her in without question and was waiting at the door when Lisa reached the apartment.

"What's going on? Where's Sam?" Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears, fearing some horrible accident had befallen her friend. Her boyfriend Tommy wrapped a comforting arm around her waist, staying strong for her while bracing himself for bad news; he was almost as close to Sam as Amy was.

"Let's go inside and sit down." Lisa said, maintaining her composure. "I have a lot to explain."

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A/N: Wow, so I had some serious writer's block for a while there, but now it's gone and I have the next few chapters all planned out. As soon as I get them typed, they will be posted. Thanks again to all my reviewers! As before, comments and suggestions are always welcome, so click that review button!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Half an hour later Lisa had finished her story. It had started with the red eye flight to Miami, and ended with Jackson's abduction of Sam and their subsequent disappearance. Amy and Tommy had listened, wide-eyed, the entire time, and neither spoke for several long moments after Lisa finished her narration.

"So, what do we do now?" Tommy finally broke the silence, ready to rush to his friend's rescue. "Any clue where they might be?"

"No." Lisa's eyes welled up, but she took a deep breath and didn't break down. "The last thing he said on the phone was that they were going away. As far as I know, that could mean out of the city or out of the country."

"There has to be somewhere we can start." Amy's tone was more hopeful than confident. The three of them fell silent once again, trying in vain to think of _something_, anything that they could do. The chirpy ring of a cell phone made everyone jump.

"That's Sam's ringtone." Amy said.

"I have her phone; Jackson left it at the restaurant." Lisa pulled the phone from her jacket pocket and checked the readout. "It's not him." She hit the ignore button and set the phone back down, sighing.

"It might be a good thing that he's not calling." Tommy said, trying to reassure her. "No news is good news, right?"

"Right." Lisa's voice lacked conviction. The phone rang again, and again she checked it. "Same number. I wish they'd just leave a message."

"Wait, what if Sammy got to a phone?" Amy said suddenly. Lisa's eyes widened and she quickly hit the talk button.

"Hello?" She asked hesitantly.

"Screening my calls for me?" Sam's cheerful voice was loud enough for all of them to hear.

"Sammy, oh my god are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm fine, Leese. I'm on a train, probably shouldn't say to where. Everything is going to be okay, I promise. It's all worked out. I just wanted you to know." Sam's words were rushed, and concern was evident beneath the forced cheer.

"Wait, what do you mean? Where is Jackson?" Lisa heard a sound like a sharp intake of breath, and then felt her blood go cold when the voice that answered her was not her sister's.

"I'm right here, Leese. Your little sister is a clever one," he chuckled mirthlessly. "Remember on the flight to Miami, when I told you I may have to steal you? Well, you might be off the hook. I think I've found a replacement."

"No!" Lisa's plea was cut off by the beep of a disconnected signal. "No, no, no, this can't be happening. Not Sam. Not with him. She didn't do anything!"

"Shh, Lisa. Calm down, it's going to be okay." Amy wrapped her arms around the older woman, comforting herself at the same time. "It's Sam. She's one of the strongest people I know. If anyone can beat this guy, it's her."

"And we can help her." Tommy's statement came as a surprise, and both women shot him questioning looks. "We have a starting point now: the train station. I say we head over there and see what we can figure out."

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Sam found herself holding her breath as Jackson calmly closed the phone. Without even looking at her, he knocked on the compartment door and handed the phone back to the lady inside, who returned his smile. As soon as she closed the door, he grabbed Sam's elbow in a vice-like grip and pulled her back to their car.

"I didn't—" were the only words out of her mouth before he slammed her into the wall of the compartment, his hand closing around her throat. _This won't end well_ she thought sardonically.

"You know, I thought you had a bit more common sense than this, Samantha." There was an edge to his voice, and his eyes flashed with anger, making them more unnerving than usual. Sam tried to say something, but all that came out was a choking gasp. "What did you think, that big sis was going to come to your rescue? Come on, you know better than that."

Sam shook her head, frantically prying at his fingers. The edges of her vision were going black and she felt herself start to slip away before Jackson suddenly let go and she collapsed to the floor.

"Get up." He instructed coldly. She managed a glare as she pulled herself into one of the seats, still trying to catch her breath.

"I didn't…want her to…freak out." She gasped. Then, recovering more, "I wouldn't have told her where we were going. I don't want her here."

Jackson stared at her for a few long moments, as though her were determining if she was telling the truth or not. Eventually he shrugged and turned his attention to his phone, which Sam noticed had the message light flashing. His eyes scanned the screen, probably reading a text message, and then he punched in a number.

"Hey, it's me. Uh huh. No, it's okay. Just keep on them, and keep me updated." He closed the phone and looked back up at Sam. "Your sister and friends are on their way to the train station. What exactly did you tell them?"

"Only that I was on a train, I swear. They don't know where we're going." Sam's voice was even, but keeping it that way took an enormous amount of self control. "I'm not trying to mess with whatever plan you have, I told you already that I'll cooperate, but I wasn't going to leave Lisa fearing the worst after not hearing anything for hours."

"Well, that _was_ what I had planned." Jackson's tone made her wince, but then he did a complete one-eighty and smiled, though it wasn't quite pleasant. "But thanks to your little stunt, things are actually better than before. Now Lisa thinks I have no intention of letting you go, and that will be worse for her than not knowing."

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A/N: Look, I posted a new chapter within a week of the last one! Go me!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Tommy, Lisa and Amy took a taxi to the train station, figuring that it was safer than walking, should one of Jackson's cronies come after them. Once inside they stopped, surveying the surprisingly large crowds of people.

"Okay, we're here." Amy said, her usual perkiness sounding rather forced. "Now what do we do?"

"For starters, we can see which trains have left in the past hour or so." Tommy suggested. "Then we can ask around, see if Sam talked to anyone or if anyone noticed her or Jackson. Hopefully we'll get a lead."

It was decided that Lisa would go talk to the woman at the information counter, since she had the people skills that might help her convince the woman to give her more information than she was supposed to. Amy and Tommy, meanwhile, would talk to the people who were sitting around waiting for their trains. All three of them were feeling a bit more positive now, with something solid to work on.

Amy and Tommy split up, each taking half of the station and talking to as many people as they could.

"I'm looking for a friend of mine…"

"She's about my age, traveling with a taller guy…"

"Her name is Sam..."

Fifteen minutes of questioning produced no results, and they were starting to lose hope. As Amy was talking to an elderly woman, her final attempt, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Turning, she found herself facing a twenty-something guy with a pair of headphones around his neck.

"Hi, I'm John. I overheard you talking to people, and I think I saw your friend here earlier." He said. "Sam, right? About your height, with short brown hair?"

"Yeah, that's her!" Amy almost hugged him in her excitement. "Do you know where she was going?"

"She mentioned it, but it's slipped my mind." He sounded apologetic. "It wasn't anywhere nearby, I remember that much. I didn't get much of a chance to talk to her before her friend came over and said they had to go."

"Are you sure you can't remember where they were going?" Amy's eyes were pleading. "It's kind of important."

"It was somewhere out west." He offered. "I'm sorry, I can't remember more than that."

At this point, Lisa and Tommy joined up with Amy, neither looking very happy. John started drifting away, having nothing else to offer them.

"Five trains left in the past hour and a half, headed just about everywhere." Lisa reported.

"No one I talked to remembered seeing Sam or Jackson." Said Tommy.

"Lisa, how many of those trains were headed west?" Amy asked, suddenly perking up again. Lisa looked down at the slip of paper in her hand.

"Two. One going north and one south." She looked at Amy curiously. "Why do you ask?"

Before Amy could respond, John reappeared at her side.

"Seattle." He stated triumphantly. "All of a sudden I remembered. They were going to Seattle."

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There had been silence in the little compartment for the past twenty minutes, ever since Jackson had more or less thanked Sam for helping him mess with Lisa. Sam was now alternating between staring out the window and glaring daggers at Jackson, who seemed oblivious. With nothing else to occupy her attention, her thoughts cycled between worrying about Lisa and her friends, worrying about her _own_ situation, and wondering what this mysterious job was that Jackson needed her for.

"So, who am I helping you kill in Seattle?" The words came unbidden from Sam's mouth, and she wondered if maybe her exhaustion was destroying her common sense.

Jackson looked up at her, a surprised but (thankfully) not angry expression on his face. He seemed to consider whether or not to answer for a moment before speaking.

"What makes you think this is about killing someone?"

"Isn't that what you do?" Sam couldn't keep the contempt from her voice, even though she knew she was on thin ice as it was. "You kill people, or at least you arrange for people to be killed, which is pretty much the same thing."

"My profession isn't quite as…_limited_ as you have been led to believe." There was a trace of amusement in his voice, or maybe it was just her imagination.

"Oh do tell."

He raised an eyebrow at her blatant sarcasm, but let it pass.

"You don't need to know any of the specifics."

"There must be _something_ I need to know about this, otherwise how will I know what to do?"

"I'll tell you." He answered with a smirk, enjoying the fact that she was growing more and more irritated with herself for being so curious.

"So tell me!" Sam gave up pretending that she didn't care.

"Later."

"Why not now?"

"Remember what they say about curiosity and the cat?" Jackson taunted.

"Well, then, it's a good thing I'm not a cat, isn't it?"

Jackson chuckled, which only made Sam more pissed off than before. She wanted to make _him_ mad, but he had turned the tables on her. Just when she thought she knew how he would react to something, he suddenly found her _funny_.

"You're not going to tell me anything, are you?" She finally asked.

"Not about this." He shook his head. "Not yet, at least."

There was silence again, and Sam stifled a yawn. What time was it? It had to be midnight at least, probably later. Her excitement over her 21st birthday felt like it had occurred a lifetime ago.

"You need to sleep." Jackson stated. She considered arguing, but another yawn stopped her. They both stood and Jackson pulled down the upper bunk, which folded down from the wall of the compartment.

"I'd say goodnight," she commented, climbing up. "But I wouldn't really mean it."

"Touché." He replied, pulling down the seats to set up his own bed.

Sam lay on her back in the now dark compartment, wondering what the hell had just happened. One minute he was slamming her around and mocking her because she had helped him torment her sister, and the next…they were _bantering_? It wasn't necessarily friendly, mind you, but still…

_I was actually enjoying myself for a moment there, how messed up is that?_


End file.
